Contributors

Handshake vs. Fist bump?

There’s been a lot of talk about removing the handshake from the doctor-patient interaction. It’s no surprise that it’s an easy way to spread germs and some patients feel uncomfortable about asking a doctor if he/she washed his/her hands. An alternative, the fist bump, has been suggested, but I have yet to see it in use between doctor’s and patients. Sure, I give my coach a fist-bump at the end of my workout, but a patient? It seems strange. Plus, a handshake stands for many things, partnership, greeting, support, and I’m not sure if the fist-bump really encompasses all those sentiments. A study published in the J. of Cog. Neuroscience found that social interactions that began with a handshake resulting in a more positive evaluation and interest in working with the individual again in the future compared to those who did not shake hands.